Four lakh more household latrines sanctioned in Assam

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The State Public Health Engineering (PHE) department has taken a project for the construction of four lakh household latrines in the State in six months and said that this move is set to make the State free from any families without latrines.

The project is taken under the centrally-funded Individual Household Latrine (IHHL) Scheme.

In fiscal 2011-12 there was a baseline survey on families without latrines in the State. At that time 30 lakh families without latrines were found in the State. The latrines were constructed under the IHHL Scheme for those 30 lakh families.

The State government conducted another survey later to ascertain if there were more families in the State without latrines. The survey detected eight lakh families without household latrines. The construction of the eight lakh household latrines is nearing completion even as the COVID-19 lockdown has delayed the progress, of late. The PHE has asked all field-level officers speed up the works and complete them soon.

Talking to this reporter, State PHE Minister Rihon Daimary said, "The construction of the four lakh latrines taken up under the IHHL scheme are set to be completed in six months. We hope the State won't be left with anymore families without latrines after the completion of these latrines. The cost of each latrine is Rs 12,000 that's being funded by the Centre."

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